Improvement in car-couplings



W. C. BROOKS.

Car-Couplings.

NO? 144,015, I Patented Oct-28,1873.

a M l L o OE o my. a?

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM CHARLES BROOKS, OF STONEHAM, PENNSYLVANIA.

HVIPRQVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 144,015, dated October 28, 1873 application filed April 19, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM 0. Brooks, of Stoneham, in the coiuity of WVarren and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Gar-Coupling, of which the following is a specification:

I propose to make the draw-head'with an upper part in the form of three sides of a long central hollow space, with a hook-shaped catch in the under surface of the upper side, and an under part in the form of one side fitted between the lower edges of the vertical sides of the upper part, and pivoted near the middle, and provided with a spring at the rear end to press the coupling-hook, having a catch similar to that of the upper part of the draw-head, up to said catch, and hold it in connection therewith; and in combination with these devices, I will have a push-pin in the upper part of the draw-head to force the coupling-hook down below the catch of the draw-head for uncoupling, and a lever, extending from the draw-head to the side of the car, for working the push-pin, which will be held up by a spring.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a draw-head adapted for coupling the cars according to my improvement. Fig. 2 is a front elevation. Fig. 3 is a plan of the bottom. Fig. l is a longitudinal section; and Fig. 5 is a plan and side elevation of ahook adapted for coupling to one car in the ordinary way, and to another according to my invention.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts. 7

A is the upper part of the draw-head, which comprises the top and two sides, between which is a longitudinal hollow space, 0, in the lower part of whichis the other part D of the draw-head, which is'pivoted to A at E, and at the inner end has a spiral spring, F, arranged with it, so as to force the front end up and press the coupling link G, which has a hook, H, on the upper side, up into a notch behind a corresponding hook, I, on the lower surface of the top side of the part A of the draw-head. The two parts of the draw-head are beveled at the front end to form a bell-mouth to guide the end of the coupling-link into the space 0 at the front end when the cars come together. The link forces the front end of part D down sufficiently for its hook to pass hook I, and the spring F instantly forces it up again, and holds it so as to keep the hook of the link in connection with the hook of the draw-head. To disconnect the hooks, I propose to have a pushpin, H, and a lever, J, arranged with the drawhead and link, as shown, and provided with a spring, K,'to hold it up. The push-pin is arranged above the link, so that, by being pressed down by the lever, it will press the link and the part D down so as to disconnect the hooks. The lever will extend to the side of the car, where it can be reached to uncouple the cars without going between them, and it may have a rod, L, extending to the top of box-cars to uncouple from the top. In order to couple the cars not provided with my improved coupling devices, I propose to use couplingrlinks, such as shown in Fig. 5,with a hook at one end for engaging with hook I, and an eye in the other end for the ordinary coupling-pin. The drawhead will be connected to the car by the metal yoke M on it and the metal yoke N 011 the carframe, with a coiled metal or a rubber spring, 0, between them, as shown in Fig. 4.

I provide a hole, P, through the part D of the draw-head, coinciding with the hole for the push-pin, so that I can couple by the ordinary link if I wish.

I am aware that hooked connecting bars or links engaging automatically with spring-held draw-heads or coupling-shoulders are old, and

therefore desire to disclaim them as constitut ing any part of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- The draw-head having subj acent lever D E, spring F, and pin H, combined'with :a hooklink, G, to allow the latter to enter, be caught, held, and released, in the manner described.

IVILLIAM CHARLES BROOKS.

Witnesses O. 'E. Frsnnn, J onN Encnn. 

